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B2B Stories

Simon Says: South Carolina beats Georgia economically

There was mixed economic news at the national level last week. The Bureau of Economic Analysis announced that real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) decreased at an annual rate of 0.3% in the first quarter. The decline in economic activity was driven by imports, which increased by 41% from the fourth quarter of 2024. Imports are subtracted from GDP because they represent expenditures by US residents on goods and services from overseas. Much of these imports ended up in firms’ inventory as they tried to get ahead of expected tariffs. We

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Dr. Simon Medcalfe May 5, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

CSRA estimates: $3 billion economic development/4,000 jobs

Last week, the President of the Augusta Economic Development Authority (AEDA) walked business leaders through the impact of regional development. Cal Wray brought the report to the Chamber’s first Member Economic Luncheon of 2025. He pulled together numbers from Richmond, Columbia, and Burke counties in Georgia and Aiken County in South Carolina. “Aiken, $1.36 billion in new investment, 1,452 new jobs,” he began. “Burke was $50 million investment, 244 new jobs. Columbia County, $158 million with 1,600 new jobs. Richmond County, $1.335 billion and 778 jobs. That is what manufacturing,

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Dana Lynn McIntyre May 5, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Splish Splash: Your dog’s taking a bath!

Hollywood Feed is expanding this summer in West Augusta. Now, your pets will be able to come into the store and feel part of the expansion. Managers tell ABD that pet parents will have two self-service bathing stations to keep their “best friends” clean. Contractors are cutting through the side wall of the main store to connect two more storefronts that Hollywood Feed will be leasing. The existing 3,150 square feet store will expand to more than 5,000 square feet to allow for the new pet area and for an

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Neil Gordon May 5, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

2 Questions for the Dean: MBA

There’s a little-known intangible reason why you or your colleagues should consider joining the MBA program at Augusta University’s Hull College of Business. Here are two questions with the Dean, Mark Thompson. ABD: What’s unique about your MBA program in terms of attracting professionals in the CSRA? HULLL: One of the things that we really highlight is recruiting. We want to recruit a cohort of students into the MBA program. You come into a class and you have all of these other working professionals from a number of different industries

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Neil Gordon May 4, 2025 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Mullins Colony mystery solved as restaurant chain competes with Augusta favorite

Two sources (including a Columbia County government official and one of the construction leaders on the project) confirm what’s been a hot restaurant rumor in our community for several months. National franchise, CAVA, is coming and will be 50 feet from the entrance to Diablo’s Southwest Grill; adjacent to Chipotle in a 1.3-acre outparcel in front of Mullins Colony Shopping Center. Chipotle’s property is subdivided with Mattress Firm, and CAVA will share its building with an undisclosed tenant as well. CAVA’s fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant theme is very similar to Chipotle,

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Neil Gordon May 4, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Air taxis one step closer to reality in CSRA

An Augusta company is watching as a Japanese aeronautics company hits two recent milestones. On April 9, SkyDrive, Inc. successfully conducted a demo flight of the SkyDrive SD-05 model of its air taxi at the Expo 2025 in Osaka. Bravo Air, which provides charter jet service at Augusta Regional Airport, has been following the advances. “I think it’s very exciting, because this is going to open up new realms of aviation and our ability to transport passengers in an innovative way in the future,” Pamela Davison, CEO of Bravo Air,

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Dana Lynn McIntyre May 4, 2025 No Comments
Consumer Stories

A new home for hope

Demolition has begun on an abandoned warehouse near the Augusta Fairgrounds. The Salvation Army of Augusta wants to build a new Center of Hope on the tract that city records say is 3.32 acres. Major Jonathan Raymer, Area Commander for The Salvation Army, told ABD the site was chosen for a few reasons. First, some of their partner agencies are in that general area. “It’s also right near the Sheriff’s Office, right out there, which is good. We have to get shelter clearance cards in order for people to stay

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Dana Lynn McIntyre May 1, 2025 No Comments
Consumer Stories

New CSRA BBQ restaurant set to open in former one

Former financial planner Kurt Mueller, who started Ironhead Barbecue with a food truck and catering orders, is opening his first restaurant in the former Pot Smoker BBQ location at 340 Edgefield Road (Highway 25) in North Augusta. Mueller expects to open in August or September and tells ABD he has plans for his food truck as well. “The food truck will still operate a normal schedule until we open. After opening, the food truck will still run, but probably not as frequently. Ideally, I would hire someone to run the

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Neil Gordon May 1, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Another local transportation group asking for public input

The organization tasked with identifying transportation issues wants to hear what people see as challenges today and for the future. The Augusta Regional Transportation Study (ARTS) focuses on Richmond and Columbia Counties in Georgia and the South Carolina counties of Aiken and Edgefield. It is updating the Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) through 2055 with a focus on multimodal transportation projects and priorities. Kaycee Mertz, Vice President and Georgia Planning Lead at engineering company WSP, told members of the Rotary Club of Aiken that they will use data from traffic counts,

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Dana Lynn McIntyre April 30, 2025 No Comments
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